Jack Anya’s phone went off early—even by his standards. He had barely shut his eyes after Anya carried on the world’s longest conversation with a teenager about whatever mood struck her. Carter told her a little about his life, dragons, how he rarely gets to—metaphorically and literally—spread his wings. It wasn’t until about five, that he realized what it was. She was using him as a bandaid. He was the substitute for Brandon and Toby. She fumbled with her phone on the nightstand before holding it up to her ear. “H-hello?” Her head was buried under her pillow, but he could still hear her muffled words. “Oh, right. I almost forgot.” She paused for a minute. “I’m here, Cam. Yeah, that’s fine. Do you know where you’re going?” Right. They had Elianna for a few days. After

